CityBus is launching “Don’t Go the Way of the Dinosaur” safety campaign on Jan. 13. The campaign aims to draw awareness to the issues of distracted pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists as well as intoxicated driving.

Around the community, people can be seen crossing streets while looking at their mobile devices, riding a bike while listening to headphones, and texting while driving. Inattention while moving from one place to another is a real problem and a serious hazard.

“In an effort to bring awareness to the issue of distractedness, CityBus worked with local design firm Maximumedia Design to create a safety campaign targeting students and others around campus,” said Tonya Agnew, manager of development. “We gathered input from the Purdue Police Department, student focus groups and other to develop the ‘Don’t Go the Way of the Dinosaur’ campaign.”

The campaign launches with a bus wrapped in the message and three comic book-style dinosaur characters — Distractosaurus Text, Intoxodrivosaurus, and Wrongwaycyclosaurus.

The message is delivered with humor to ensure the serious message is received. Be aware while walking, cycling, and driving, and don’t drink and drive.
“CityBus, Purdue University, and the cities of West Lafayette and Lafayette all have a common goal — to keep people in our community safe,” said Marty Sennett, general manager. “Our campaign along with the Purdue and community safety resources and programs already in place can make a difference. “

In any given hour during weekdays, there are 19 CityBus vehicles servicing campus loops on the Purdue University campus two and three times an hour. Purdue enrolls over 39,000 undergraduate and graduate students and employs 15,000 faculty and staff. Add to that the delivery trucks and university, student, faculty, and staff vehicles traveling around campus and it becomes quite a complex web of activity and movement.

“The sheer volume of motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists in and around campus makes safety a complicated venture,” Sennett said. “We want to do all we can to help. The ultimate goal is to eliminate preventable accidents and keep people safe. Safety is the number one goal.”